Friday, 28 April 2017

This week Paige was officially discharged from speech therapy. No more!

We went to a one on one session on Tuesday and after another assessment they said that she is doing perfectly with her speech. She is on track with where they would expect her to be for her age and is actually ahead with some sounds that they wouldn't expect to be there until 6 years old.

Her connective speech can still sometimes be a little confused and the sounds don't quite come out right but they said that for her age that isn't a problem. She can pronounce the sounds in singular words so her connective speech should follow suit pretty quickly. They did mention that if her connective speech got worse or didn't improve within a year then to phone them and they will see her again.

I am so proud of how she can come along, loads of people have noticed and have mentioned to me how clear she is becoming and how they can understand a lot of what she says now. Her teachers have also mentioned how well she is doing too.

I hope that she continues to get more and more confident with her speech. I am really impressed with how well she has done in such a short amount of time. She's done so well.

Thursday, 27 April 2017

April has flown by at such an alarming rate. I can't believe that our big girl is 5 next month!

We've had half term this month and the kids loved it, so have I. We were quite busy more or less everyday with either jobs around the house, going out or people coming to see us. It was so nice to have some lazy mornings and to not have to rush around.

I'm finding it harder and harder each month to get pictures. Paige and Harls are fine but Parker is right at age when he either loves having his picture taken or hates it.

We took these pictures in the holidays and they make me smile. They are all growing up so quickly i want to remember every moment i can with them. This is part of the reason why i love Mummy and Me, it forces me to get a picture of us all each month.

Friday, 21 April 2017

Babymel may be a brand that you are already familiar with, they have a lovely range of changing bags but did you know they also do children's bags too?Paige and Parker were recently sent a bag each from their range. Parker picked the Dino Multi print and Paige picked the Pink Colour Block. The bags are really bright and colourful and aimed at 3 years plus. Parker isn't three until June so his bag is a little big for him but something that will last him and something that he can grow into.

Both bags are very similar in shape and design, the patterns are just different. Both have side bottle pockets, padded adjustable straps and a chest strap. Having adjustable straps means that they can grow with your child making them last longer and better value for money. They both have smaller insulated front pockets and a large main pocket with a Velcro internal pocket. They are more than big enough for school bags or to take on a day trip.

Ours don't take packed lunches to school/nursery so mainly use their bags for day trips or when we go away. We recently took them on a day trip to my mums and they were perfect. They each had their water bottle in the side pocket, a change of clothes in the main pocket and some toys, along with a snack in the insulated front pocket. They both had them in the car and loved the independence of getting their own things for themselves out of their bag.

The bags also come with a Zip or Zoe keyring. Both Paige and Parker love their keyrings and I think they make a cute little addition to the bags.

As you can see Parkers choice is very fun and colourful whereas Paige's bag is a little more muted, because hers is a lighter colour is does get dirtier quicker than Parkers which is to be expected but the bag is machine washable on a cold wash.Overall the kids love their bags and can't wait to take them on our next adventure.Which is your favourite Babymel design?Nicola Xx*Disclaimer - We were sent the above items for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions are our own*

Thursday, 20 April 2017

How is my little baby getting so big?! She is growing up far too quickly. I'm not sure on weight but she is still in 3-6m clothes and size 3 nappies.

At 18 weeks so rolled over from belly to back. She tries so hard to go back to belly but just hasn't managed yet. She loves sleeping on her side so when she can roll to her belly i think she might start sleeping on her belly. She is now in her own room for naps and at night time. She has three naps a day for between 1-3 hours. We gave her a dummy and it helped with nap time so much. She used to rely on us to rock her to sleep but now settled herself sometimes with her dummy and sometimes without. Her night time sleep isn't too good. She is usually up twice a night but most times its three, the worst night was seven!She is really loving toys. She got a jumperoo this month and loves it. She is also grabbing everything and never misses anymore. This also includes hair, i forgot how much babies love to grab hair!

She is learning to sit and can do 10-15 seconds on her own. She does get distracted by her feet though and loses balance. She is obsessed with feet. At 3 months it was hands and now we are onto feet.Harleigh also loves Millie. She will follow her around the room and even stroke her, Millie just stands there and lets her. It is so cute. She is such a happy, smiley baby. We are so blessed. If we could nail night time sleeping she would be perfect, haha. She is starting to teeth quite badly, we've had red cheeks, loads of dribbling, chewing n everything in sight but no teeth as of yet. Parker got his at 5.5 months and Paige was a lot later so i'm interested to see when Harleigh gets hers. I'm just not ready to see her grow up. Next month she will be half a year old, then will be crawling and walking. Why can't they stay little forever?Nicola Xx

Wednesday, 19 April 2017

We aren't the most adventurous family when it comes to food. Each week I meal plan all our meals for the next week and without fail we usually stick to the same few meals. We stick to what we know, what we like and what we know the children will eat.

When Goodlife got in touch and asked if we wanted to review some of their items I was a little hesitant to say yes but I did. I wanted us to try something new and see what we thought. They expressed how they wanted an honest review so this is what we honestly thought.

The packaging is really lovely and all the ingredients are on the back of the boxes along with cooking instructions.

Around 90% of meals that we eat have meat included so for us trying some meat free options is a big thing. Goodlife say their mission is to put vegetables into the spotlight. Too many times it can be seen as a side but can be a delicious main star of a meal. Goodlife are trying to make that happen.Why meatfree isn't boring:*Goodlife produce delicious vegtastic meals which make veg the star of the show.
We only use natural ingredients - nothing else. *There are lot’s of benefits of reducing meat intake for you and your family, eg.
health, saving money and conservation. *#MeatFreeMondays is a growing trend across social media. All kind of people love
to join in on this, sharing the veggie creations. One day a week off meat can make a
world of difference. * Goodlife have just got a brand new stockist in Iceland Food Warehouse stores.
These stores are now selling 3 Goodlife products: Mushroom and Spinach Kiev,
French Bean & Spinach Sausages with Wensleydale Cheese and the Falafel with
Chickpea, Cumin & Coriander. The Kiev is also now in 500 main Iceland stores which is new stocklist for the product!We were sent the Mushroom and Spinach Kiev, French Bean and Spinach Sausages with Wensleydale Cheese and the Falafel with Chickpea, Cumin & Coriander.

First up we tried the French Bean and Spinach Sausages with Wensleydale Cheese. We cooked them in the frying pan with a little oil and added some mashed potatoes. The sausages cooked really well and were really easy to cook. They felt different to usual meat sausages, softer to touch. Then the taste test, they were very different. I've never eaten a vegetable sausage before, they tasted like a bag of vegetables wrapped up to look like a sausage which is essentially what they are. None of us were a fan I'm afraid, to me it seems strange to make them into a sausage. Parker wouldn't touch it, he could see that they weren't our usual sausages. Paige did try it but didn't like it.

Next up were the Falafel with Chickpea, Cumin & Coriander. We popped these into the oven and they browned up quite nicely. They reminded me of meatballs which is something that we eat quite regular. These were far too spicy for me, I didn't mind them but just couldn't eat them. Mark on the other hand loved them. He loves spice and is big on flavour and these didn't disappoint.

Last up were the Mushroom and Spinach Kiev. These were my favourite. Again we cooked them in the oven like we would a normal kiev. They were really easy and straight forward and came out looking amazing. The cheese was oozing out of the tops and looked really good. They tasted really nice too. The kiev was my favourite. I like spinach but couldn't taste it really, the cheese was a strong and delicious flavour. I don't like mushrooms but again the taste of those was masked by the cheese. It was nice that I could get an extra vegetable inside me. They have a lovely breadcrumb coating which adds some nice texture to the kiev too. Overall we enjoyed trying the three Goodlife products and although the children weren't too keen me and Mark would eat the Falafel and Kiev again. Do you ever eat meat free?Nicola Xx*Disclaimer - We were sent the above items for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions are my own*

Monday, 17 April 2017

After you have children it's even more important to make sure you set aside some time spend with your partner. Having children can sometimes strain a relationship, it can be hard work. You become so wrapped up in the children and day to day life that sometimes you can lose each other in the process.Mark and I try to have date nights at least every other week, although this is easier said than done! We can't afford to go out each week but after the children are in bed we usually cook a nice meal, sit down and watch a film. Mark keeps trying to tell me that getting a Panasonic 4K TV would improve our date nights, whereas I just wish he'd buy the nice popcorn!

We don't even have to watch a film, sometimes sitting down and just talking to each other without any distractions is nice. We can catch up on each others day and just keep connected. We play games and have both just learnt how to solve a rubik's cube, kind of nerdy but learning something new together was actually really nice. We rarely get moments during the day where we get time together, maybe the occasional lunch date when the kids are with Grandad on a Saturday. So for us evenings are best as the children are in bed. We make sure that the children and are all in bed for between 6:30-7:30pm each night. A lot of people think that it's really early but for us that time is important and without a happy mummy and daddy the kids would be effected. Do you have regular date nights?Nicola Xx*Sponsored Post*

Saturday, 15 April 2017

Another month and another picture of the troublesome three! This month we are all very much enjoying the Easter holidays. The kids are loving having each other at home and are playing really well. Harleigh can't wait to be able to join in more and is loving grabbing things and just watching both Paige and Parker.We are enjoying the slower mornings and lazy days. Its so amazing to not be doing the school runs and the kids are loving it too.This months picture is from a lazy morning. Daddy had gone to work and we were all snuggling and playing in bed, I just had to snap a picture. The quality is rubbish but i couldn't resist.

I also tried to take some with my big camera. I really try to take some as often as I can but sometimes they just don't play ball and I don't really get any pictures that I love. That was the case this month so this was the best of a bad bunch.

I can't wait until summer and we can get out and about more. When Harleigh is fully mobile and can really join in they are all going to love it!Nicola Xx

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Spring is very much upon us and what better way to celebrate than with some super cute bunny floral sleepsuits! I love everything and anything girly and these sleepsuits from The Essential One are just that. The set are a three pack and are made from 100% superfine cotton making them really comfortable for baby. The sleepsuits have some really lovely cute designs with bunnies and floral patterns. They are really girly and lovely but not too in your face which I love. They are perfect for night time sleeping but also lovely enough that baby could wear them out and still look really cute.

We have 3-6m size which is perfect for Harleigh right now. When we first got them they were a little big but still wearable and that just meant that she had growing room which is always important when buying baby clothes as they grow so quickly. They now fit really well and Harleigh is almost 5 months old. One thing I love about The Essential One sleepsuits is that they all have integral mitts on all the sizes, not just newborn/0-3m. We went through a stage of Harleigh rubbing her face whilst she slept which meant that no matter how often we cut her nails she always scratched herself. Sometimes I would forget to add mitts to outfits or sleepsuits that didn't have them but with these sleepsuits I don't have that problem as they are there ready and waiting for me to use. So many times you find that the added mittens stop at age 0-3m and I still find that sometimes they still need them especially if baby is bigger than average or particularly fidgety, like Harleigh.

I also love the added details that come on the sleepsuits, cute little embroidery details and extra little ruffles here and there.

I don't have anything bad to say about the sleepsuits, the quality is great and they wash and dry really well. We love them!Have you tried The Essential One?Nicola Xx*Disclaimer - We were sent the above item for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions are my own*

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Harleigh was recently sent some lovely items from the new Fisher Price range by Jonathan Alder. All the products are suitable from birth and all are lovely bright colours, although in my opinion heavily focused with blue. I don't care and Harleigh certainly doesn't care but I know that some people might.

First up we tried out the Monkey Mirror. This is a super cute toy which folds up for easy storage, it isn't huge but a good size. Its really easy to unfold and i'm, sure once Harleigh is a little bigger she would be able to do it herself. One one side there are colourful animal patterns and the other has the mirror, a crinkling panel, a squeaking monkey, a parrot that jingles, bananas that clack and fleece grass that’s soft to touch. Harleigh loves doing tummy time and playing with this toy or just staring at herself in the mirror. I will admit that she doesn't really enjoy the side that just has the animal patterns but she loves the other side with everything to do. I wish both sides were just as fun. RRP: £19.99

Next up is the Activity Elephant which also comes in the form of an Alligator. They both have bright colours, eye-catching patterns and textures like crinkle, corduroy and plush to help boost baby’s senses. There are also dangling toys with fun clacking and rattle sounds. Harleigh loves the Elephant and I do too. Its a great toy to hang from the pushchair/play mat or to just play with on its own. I love toys that can attach to things as it makes them really easy to take on the go. RRP: £12.99 each

Last up is the Signature Style Pegs. These again are brightly coloured and have textures to touch. They are perfect for at-home play or fun on the go as they are quite small. Harleigh likes to bite and chew on the teether, perfect for sore gums. There are 4 in the range to collect. RRP: £4.99 each.

Monday, 10 April 2017

Harleigh is now 4 months old and I wanted to do a little post of some of our essential items for the 0-3m newborn time. They change so much that some things we used during the first three months we no longer use now in the fourth month.First up is the aden by aden + anais muslin squares from the Disney collection which are available at Amazon UK and Babies R Us. You get a set of 5 really cute 100% cotton muslin squares which measure 60x60cm. Our set are Minnie Mouse themed and are so cute! I love the design. They are very girly but not too in your face. We used them for everything, when feeding, as light blankets, for burping and to wipe away dribble. Once one id dirty we simply pop it in the wash and grab another. I also always keep one in my changing bag for if I happen to forget to add one, I always like to have one or two with me. The great thing about them is that every time they are washed they get softer and softer. Harleigh loves them!

Next up is the Wonders Above play mat from MyBToys. This play mat is the softest, thickest mat I have ever felt. It feels such great quality and is the perfect place to place baby down. It does come with five little toys that hang from the mat which baby can look at and then as they get older they can play with. There is also room to add additional toys on. I love the colours of this mat, it is quite gender neutral but not the boring beige that a lot of neutral items are.

Another essential item for us was a swaddle. Both Paige and Parker loved to be swaddled so I assumed that Harleigh would too but she never really took to it. We were sent the wonderful Cocooi swaddle from Merino Kids. The swaddle is made from 100% merino wool which makes it super breathable and helps to regulate baby's body temperature. The swaddle is super soft and just gorgeous. It also comes with a cute little hat which we found to be a little big and only just fits Harleigh now at 4 months old. I know that if we'd of had this swaddle with either Paige or Parker they would of adored it!

Our next essential is a wrap. Having three children I need my hands free. There is nothing better than newborn snuggles but sometimes you just need your hands free. A wrap allowed me to have the best of both worlds. We used the Yogabellies wrap and love it. The wrap is really stretchy and soft. Harleigh loved to be snuggled down close to me. It would instantly settle her and 99% of the time would send her straight to sleep. It is available from AmazonUK and comes in a range of colours. It is made from 100% cotton and can hold babies from 5.5lbs to 35lbs. Its really easy to put on and really comfortable to wear. I love wearing her close to me.

What essentials do you love for 0-3 months?Nicola Xx*Disclaimer - Some of the items above were sent to me for review but all views and opinions are my own*

Thursday, 6 April 2017

For me a changing bag is a must have item of baby kit. If you use a standard changing bag or a regular handbag you need something to carry around your things when out and about. Babies come with a lot of things!The Melobaby Melotote is a changing bag that i'd never heard of before. It has some great features that I love. It has:* an adjustable strap* It can hang from any stroller*two inbuilt insulated pockets* one large pocket * side pockets* outer zip pockets

It also comes with a washable soft fleece changing mat and a bottle holder. I love that you can adjust the strap, perfect for me as i'm quite petite. I also like that it comes with the stroller straps, sometimes you have to purchase them additionally which is a pain.

The bag itself is a great size, I have plenty of room but I wish it was arranged a little differently. I wish there were only one insulated pocket, I can fit two bottles in there so don't really need the second pocket. Plus there is the added bottle holder so if I did need to bring another bottle I could use that. I tend to store muslin cloths and bibs in the other pocket. The large pocket inside is great for the changing mat but I wish there was another on the other side. In my eyes there can never be too many pockets. The ones on the outside of the bag are nice but the side pockets never get used as they are just a little too small.

The changing mat is very soft and feels wonderful. It is washable but I prefer having a wipe clean mat, it's just easier and quicker for me. There is also plastic pouch which is included. I love this to store an extra set or two of clothes. You can then pop the dirty clothes back into the pouch and the rest of the bag doesn't get dirty.To go along with the Melotote you can purchase the nappy wallet. This also has some lovely features:* quick, easy to use* holds up to 4 nappies and a change of clothes* folds out to a soft fleece mat

The nappy wallet is great if you are just popping out somewhere for an hour or so. You can bring some nappies, wipes and change of clothes. There are also little pockets to pop creams.

The mat attaches with magnets so it can be removed as washed like the one that comes with the changing mat. The magnets mean that you can extend the mat so it will last right up until your baby is potty trained but again I wish you could wipe it down.

I don't tend to find myself reaching for the wallet when I use the bag as I find that inside a bag it can be quite bulky once you have nappies and clothes inside.

I have both the Melotote and nappy wallet in the love black and white print and love the design. It's really fun but not in your face.Nicola Xx*Disclaimer - I was the above items for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions are my own*